Senior Moment

This is supposedly a true account recorded in the Police Log of Sarasota, Florida

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle.

She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!"

The four men didn't wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad.

The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition.

She tried and tried, and then she realised why. It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a frisbee and two 12 -packs of beer in the front seat.

A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station to report her mistake.

The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing.

He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

Moral of the story? If you're going to have a senior moment... make it memorable!...

70-Year-Old Woman Makes Living Delivering Water Bottles

A 70-year-old woman who lives in Beijing's Shijingshan District is perhaps the oldest water cooler bottle deliverer in the capital.

Gao Meiyun has worked full-time since 2006 delivering hundreds of 20-kilogram bottles of purified water to various apartments and offices in western Beijing each day, according to an article by China Foto Press.

Gao, who is a widow, lives with her physically disabled son and mentally disabled grandson. The money she earns from her water delivery job is their only income and must also cover her son's medical expenses.

Gao Meiyun's family lives in a 20-square-meter room with no air-conditioning, which is filled with water cooler bottles that she will deliver to homes and offices in Beijing's Shijingshan District.

Gao has become quite famous in the community since elderly people usually do not perform such a physically demanding job. But as long as customers continued to call, Gao said she would deliver water at any time regardless of weather conditions. She also said her family is her motivation to keep up with the job.

Gao believed her son would eventually take over her water delivery business, but he was unable to do so because of health problems. But now that Gao has health problems of her own, some volunteers assist her every Wednesday.

On the other hand, Neighbors have accused an elderly woman of exaggerating her difficulties to local media to exploit people's kindness for profit. Gao's neighbors have questioned her motives, as the family is not in as dire straits as some previous media reports claimed. According to them, Gao's family earns around 3,000 yuan ($450.50) per month, including pension and allowances, and public healthcare and the sub-district cover most of their medical bills.

Gao said the allowances were enough to cover daily expenses but not medical bills. She said she would donate extra money she received to the federation for the disabled. "I'm not trying to con people out of money," Gao told the Beijing News. "The neighbors may be slandering me because they are jealous of all the help we are getting."

Nevertheless, being old but still working hard, some people may have to live like that, whether they like it or not...

Regret #5 : I Wish That I Had Let Myself Be Happier

Regret #5 : I Wish That I Had Let Myself Be Happier

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware (Platinum Quality Author)

 
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to themselves, that they were content.  When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life.
Choose consciously,

choose wisely,

choose honestly.

Choose happiness.

Regret #4 : I Wish I Had Stayed In Touch With My Friends

Regret #4 : I Wish I Had Stayed In Touch With My Friends

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware (Platinum Quality Author) 

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. 

Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep  regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.  But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. 

People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more  for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks : love and relationships.

<continued - Regret #5>

Regret #3 : I Wish I'd Had The Courage To Express My Feelings

Regret #3 : I Wish I'd Had The Courage To Express My Feelings

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware (Platinum Quality Author)

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, but in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

<continued - Regret #4>

Regret #2 : I Wish I Didn't Work So Hard

Regret #2 : I Wish I Didn't Work So Hard

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware (Platinum Quality Author)

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. 

Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. 

All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
 

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

<continued - Regret #3>

Regret #1 : Live True To Yourself

Regret #1 : Live True To Yourself

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware (Platinum Quality Author) 

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I  learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most ! common five:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
 
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it. 

<continued - Regret #2>